In 2022, hit songs had, on average, 6 songwriters: 1 woman and 5 men.
In 2022, hit songs had, on average, 6 songwriters: 1 woman and 5 men.
But the average conceals a remarkable fact about the 42 songs that charted in top 5 of Billboard Hot 100...
But the average conceals a remarkable fact about the 42 songs that charted in top 5 of Billboard Hot 100...
Half of the songs had a songwriting team of all men.
Half of the songs had a songwriting team of all men.
Only one song had a songwriting team consisting of just women.
Only one song had a songwriting team consisting of just women.
That one song - Kate Bush’s “Running Up that Hill (A Deal with God)” - was written in 1985 and only saw a resurgence because it was featured in the popular Netflix show Stranger Things.
Songs written by just women are rarer than you think. How often do you think a top 5 hit has been written just by women in the last 10 years?
The Songwriters for Every Top 5 Hit, by Year
2021
amari
j. cole
only men
my universe
coldplay x bts
only men
stay
the kid laroi & justin bieber
only men
industry baby
lil nas x & jack harlow
only men
champagne poetry
drake
only men
knife talk
drake featuring 21 savage & project pat
only men
save your tears
the weeknd & ariana grande
only men
wants and needs
drake featuring lil baby
only men
my.life
j. cole, 21 savage & morray
only men
leave the door open
silk sonic (bruno mars & anderson .paak)
only men
montero (call me
your name)
only men
rapstar
polo g
only men
way 2 sexy
drake featuring future & young thug
only men
fancy like
walker hayes
only men
girls want girls
drake featuring lil baby
only men
what's next
drake
only men
bad habits
ed sheeran
only men
smokin out the window
silk sonic (bruno mars & anderson .paak)
only men
it's the most wonderful time of the year
andy williams
only men
calling my phone
lil tjay featuring 6lack
only men
go crazy
chris brown & young thug
only men
all too well (taylor's version)
taylor swift
only women
up
cardi b
easy on me
adele
oh my god
adele
butter
bts
permission to dance
bts
drivers license
olivia rodrigo
shivers
ed sheeran
peaches
justin bieber featuring daniel caesar & giveon
lemon pepper freestyle
drake featuring rick ross
rumors
lizzo featuring cardi b
kiss me more
doja cat featuring sza
levitating
dua lipa
levitating
dua lipa featuring dababy
good 4 u
olivia rodrigo
deja vu
olivia rodrigo
fair trade
drake featuring travis scott
34+35
ariana grande feat. doja cat & megan thee stallion
2020
whats poppin
jack harlow featuring dababy, tory lanez & lil wayne
only men
rockstar
dababy featuring roddy ricch
only men
holy
justin bieber featuring chance the rapper
only men
the scotts
the scotts, travis scott & kid cudi
only men
the box
roddy ricch
only men
laugh now cry later
drake featuring lil durk
only men
blinding lights
the weeknd
only men
life is good
future featuring drake
only men
godzilla
eminem featuring juice wrld
only men
roses
saint jhn
only men
popstar
dj khaled featuring drake
only men
mood
24kgoldn featuring iann dior
only men
watermelon sugar
harry styles
only men
gooba
6ix9ine
only men
savage love (laxed - siren beat)
jawsh 685 x jason derulo
only men
the bigger picture
lil baby
only men
wishing well
juice wrld
only men
forever after all
luke combs
only men
jingle bell rock
bobby helms
only men
toosie slide
drake
only men
come & go
juice wrld x marshmello
only men
intentions
justin bieber featuring quavo
only men
a holly jolly christmas
burl ives
only men
dakiti
bad bunny & jhay cortez
only men
dance monkey
tones and i
only women
yummy
justin bieber
i hope
gabby barrett featuring charlie puth
therefore i am
billie eilish
the 1
taylor swift
cardigan
taylor swift
dynamite
bts
willow
taylor swift
franchise
travis scott featuring young thug & m.i.a.
stupid love
lady gaga
trollz
6ix9ine & nicki minaj
life goes on
bts
wap
cardi b featuring megan thee stallion
don't start now
dua lipa
positions
ariana grande
stuck with u
ariana grande & justin bieber
savage
megan thee stallion
say so
doja cat featuring nicki minaj
on
bts
rain on me
lady gaga & ariana grande
2019
homicide
logic featuring eminem
only men
futsal shuffle 2020
lil uzi vert
only men
sucker
jonas brothers
only men
memories
maroon 5
only men
wow.
post malone
only men
old town road
lil nas x featuring billy ray cyrus
only men
i don't care
ed sheeran & justin bieber
only men
someone you loved
lewis capaldi
only men
panini
lil nas x
only men
circles
post malone
only men
middle child
j. cole
only men
highest in the room
travis scott
only men
heartless
the weeknd
only men
if i can't have you
shawn mendes
only men
talk
khalid
only men
ran$om
lil tecca
only men
rockin' around the christmas tree
brenda lee
only men
please me
cardi b & bruno mars
all i want for christmas is you
mariah carey
bad guy
billie eilish
you need to calm down
taylor swift
good as hell
lizzo
10,000 hours
dan + shay & justin bieber
me!
taylor swift featuring brendon urie
goodbyes
post malone featuring young thug
no guidance
chris brown featuring drake
roxanne
arizona zervas
truth hurts
lizzo
break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored
ariana grande
lose you to love me
selena gomez
señorita
shawn mendes & camila cabello
7 rings
ariana grande
2018
sicko mode
travis scott
only men
no brainer
dj khaled featuring justin bieber, chance the rapper & quavo
only men
Finesse
Bruno Mars & Cardi B
only men
mia
bad bunny featuring drake
only men
look alive
blocboy jb featuring drake
only men
better now
post malone
only men
sunflower
post malone & swae lee
only men
lucid dreams
juice wrld
only men
don't cry
lil wayne featuring xxxtentacion
only men
God's Plan
Drake
only men
psycho
post malone featuring ty dolla $ign
only men
mona lisa
lil wayne featuring kendrick lamar
only men
call out my name
the weeknd
only men
this is america
childish gambino
only men
happier
marshmello & bastille
only men
drip too hard
lil baby & gunna
only men
sad!
xxxtentacion
only men
killshot
eminem
only men
Bad At Love
Halsey
only men
zeze
kodak black featuring travis scott & offset
meant to be
bebe rexha & florida georgia line
no tears left to cry
ariana grande
i like it
cardi b, bad bunny & j balvin
shallow
lady gaga & bradley cooper
fefe
6ix9ine featuring nicki minaj & murda beatz
nonstop
drake
No Limit
G-Eazy Featuring A$AP Rocky & Cardi B
the middle
zedd, maren morris & grey
without me
halsey
boo'd up
ella mai
girls like you
maroon 5 featuring cardi b
thank u, next
ariana grande
in my feelings
drake
nice for what
drake
high hopes
panic! at the disco
2017
Unforgettable
French Montana Featuring Swae Lee
only men
I'm The One
DJ Khaled Featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper & Lil Wayne
only men
That's What I Like
Bruno Mars
only men
I Feel It Coming
The Weeknd Featuring Daft Punk
only men
Feel It Still
Portugal. The Man
only men
Sign Of The Times
Harry Styles
only men
Thunder
Imagine Dragons
only men
Something Just Like This
The Chainsmokers & Coldplay
only men
iSpy
KYLE Featuring Lil Yachty
only men
Rockstar
Post Malone Featuring 21 Savage
only men
Bad And Boujee
Migos Featuring Lil Uzi Vert
only men
Believer
Imagine Dragons
only men
Gucci Gang
Lil Pump
only men
Too Good At Goodbyes
Sam Smith
only men
Mask Off
Future
only men
Humble.
Kendrick Lamar
only men
DNA.
Kendrick Lamar
only men
Attention
Charlie Puth
only men
Perfect
Ed Sheeran
only men
Mi Gente
J Balvin & Willy William Featuring Beyonce
I Don't Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)
Zayn / Taylor Swift
Love On The Brain
Rihanna
...Ready For It?
Taylor Swift
Despacito
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber
1-800-273-8255
Logic Featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid
Look What You Made Me Do
Taylor Swift
Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)
Cardi B
Wild Thoughts
DJ Khaled Featuring Rihanna & Bryson Tiller
Million Reasons
Lady Gaga
Shape Of You
Ed Sheeran
Chained To The Rhythm
Katy Perry Featuring Skip Marley
Bad Things
Machine Gun Kelly x Camila Cabello
Havana
Camila Cabello Featuring Young Thug
2016
Starboy
The Weeknd Featuring Daft Punk
only men
My House
Flo Rida
only men
Pillowtalk
Zayn
only men
7 Years
Lukas Graham
only men
Black Beatles
Rae Sremmurd Featuring Gucci Mane
only men
Closer
The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey
only men
Can't Stop The Feeling!
Justin Timberlake
only men
24K Magic
Bruno Mars
only men
Panda
Desiigner
only men
Broccoli
D.R.A.M. Featuring Lil Yachty
only men
Stressed Out
twenty one pilots
only men
Ride
twenty one pilots
only men
I Took A Pill In Ibiza
Mike Posner
only men
Heathens
twenty one pilots
only men
Work
Rihanna Featuring Drake
Let Me Love You
DJ Snake Featuring Justin Bieber
This Is What You Came For
Calvin Harris Featuring Rihanna
Cheap Thrills
Sia Featuring Sean Paul
Don't Let Me Down
The Chainsmokers Featuring Daya
No
Meghan Trainor
One Dance
Drake Featuring WizKid & Kyla
Same Old Love
Selena Gomez
Cold Water
Major Lazer Featuring Justin Bieber & MO
Work From Home
Fifth Harmony Featuring Ty Dolla $ign
Here
Alessia Cara
Juju On That Beat (TZ Anthem)
Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall
Side To Side
Ariana Grande Featuring Nicki Minaj
2015
Sugar
Maroon 5
only men
Shut Up And Dance
WALK THE MOON
only men
Cheerleader
OMI
only men
Can't Feel My Face
The Weeknd
only men
Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey)
The Weeknd
only men
See You Again
Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth
only men
679
Fetty Wap Featuring Remy Boyz
only men
The Hills
The Weeknd
only men
Drag Me Down
One Direction
only men
Hotline Bling
Drake
only men
What Do You Mean?
Justin Bieber
only men
Love Yourself
Justin Bieber
only men
Trap Queen
Fetty Wap
only men
Watch Me
Silento
only men
Stitches
Shawn Mendes
only men
Want To Want Me
Jason Derulo
Bad Blood
Taylor Swift Featuring Kendrick Lamar
Wildest Dreams
Taylor Swift
Thinking Out Loud
Ed Sheeran
Hello
Adele
Lean On
Major Lazer & DJ Snake Featuring MO
Sorry
Justin Bieber
Love Me Like You Do
Ellie Goulding
FourFiveSeconds
Rihanna & Kanye West & Paul McCartney
Good For You
Selena Gomez Featuring A$AP Rocky
2014
Uptown Funk!
Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars
only men
Talk Dirty
Jason Derulo Featuring 2 Chainz
only men
Wiggle
Jason Derulo Featuring Snoop Dogg
only men
Rude
MAGIC!
only men
Turn Down For What
DJ Snake & Lil Jon
only men
Break Free
Ariana Grande Featuring Zedd
only men
Animals
Maroon 5
only men
Stay With Me
Sam Smith
only men
All Of Me
John Legend
only men
Am I Wrong
Nico & Vinz
only men
Let Her Go
Passenger
only men
Pompeii
Bastille
only men
Happy
Pharrell Williams
only men
Take Me To Church
Hozier
only men
I'm Not The Only One
Sam Smith
only men
Habits (Stay High)
Tove Lo
Let It Go
Idina Menzel
Shake It Off
Taylor Swift
Blank Space
Taylor Swift
All About That Bass
Meghan Trainor
Lips Are Movin
Meghan Trainor
Drunk In Love
Beyonce Featuring Jay Z
Anaconda
Nicki Minaj
Bang Bang
Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj
Problem
Ariana Grande Featuring Iggy Azalea
Dark Horse
Katy Perry Featuring Juicy J
Fancy
Iggy Azalea Featuring Charli XCX
Black Widow
Iggy Azalea Featuring Rita Ora
2013
Berzerk
Eminem
only men
Holy Grail
Jay Z Featuring Justin Timberlake
only men
Suit & Tie
Justin Timberlake Featuring JAY Z
only men
Radioactive
Imagine Dragons
only men
Cruise
Florida Georgia Line Featuring Nelly
only men
Hold On, We're Going Home
Drake Featuring Majid Jordan
only men
When I Was Your Man
Bruno Mars
only men
Treasure
Bruno Mars
only men
Mirrors
Justin Timberlake
only men
Get Lucky
Daft Punk Featuring Pharrell Williams
only men
Best Song Ever
One Direction
only men
Scream & Shout
will.i.am & Britney Spears
only men
Wake Me Up!
Avicii
only men
Say Something
A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera
only men
Can't Hold Us
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Ray Dalton
only men
Thrift Shop
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz
only men
Harlem Shake
Baauer
only men
Blurred Lines
Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. + Pharrell
only men
Gentleman
PSY
only men
Stay
Rihanna Featuring Mikky Ekko
only men
Counting Stars
OneRepublic
only men
Stay
Rihanna Featuring Mikky Ekko
only men
Applause
Lady Gaga
Just Give Me A Reason
P!nk Featuring Nate Ruess
Royals
Lorde
Beauty And A Beat
Justin Bieber Featuring Nicki Minaj
We Can't Stop
Miley Cyrus
Wrecking Ball
Miley Cyrus
The Monster
Eminem Featuring Rihanna
Roar
Katy Perry
Timber
Pitbull Featuring Ke$ha
2012
Payphone
Maroon 5 Featuring Wiz Khalifa
only men
Whistle
Flo Rida
only men
Ni**as in Paris
Jay Z Kanye West
only men
We Are Young
fun. Featuring Janelle Monae
only men
Some Nights
fun.
only men
Boyfriend
Justin Bieber
only men
One More Night
Maroon 5
only men
Glad You Came
The Wanted
only men
What Makes You Beautiful
One Direction
only men
Live While We're Young
One Direction
only men
Locked Out Of Heaven
Bruno Mars
only men
Ho Hey
The Lumineers
only men
Somebody That I Used To Know
Gotye Featuring Kimbra
only men
Gangnam Style
PSY
only men
Ho Hey
The Lumineers
only men
Set Fire To The Rain
Adele
Blow Me (One Last Kiss)
P!nk
Where Have You Been
Rihanna
Call Me Maybe
Carly Rae Jepsen
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
Taylor Swift
I Knew You Were Trouble.
Taylor Swift
Lights
Ellie Goulding
Starships
Nicki Minaj
Die Young
Ke$ha
Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)
Kelly Clarkson
Diamonds
Rihanna
Wild Ones
Flo Rida Featuring Sia
Turn Me On
David Guetta Featuring Nicki Minaj
Part Of Me
Katy Perry
Wide Awake
Katy Perry
2011
How To Love
Lil Wayne
only men
Lighters
Bad Meets Evil Featuring Bruno Mars
only men
Stereo Hearts
Gym Class Heroes Featuring Adam Levine
only men
Without You
David Guetta Featuring Usher
only men
F**k You! (Forget You)
Cee Lo Green
only men
Down On Me
Jeremih Featuring 50 Cent
only men
The Lazy Song
Bruno Mars
only men
Party Rock Anthem
LMFAO Featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock
only men
Moves Like Jagger
Maroon 5 Featuring Christina Aguilera
only men
Black And Yellow
Wiz Khalifa
only men
Give Me Everything
Pitbull Featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer
only men
She Will
Lil Wayne Featuring Drake
only men
It Will Rain
Bruno Mars
only men
Pumped Up Kicks
Foster The People
only men
We Found Love
Rihanna Featuring Calvin Harris
only men
S&M
Rihanna Featuring Britney Spears
Born This Way
Lady Gaga
Rolling In The Deep
Adele
Sexy And I Know It
LMFAO
F**kin' Perfect
P!nk
The Edge Of Glory
Lady Gaga
Someone Like You
Adele
Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)
Enrique Iglesias Featuring Ludacris & DJ Frank E
E.T.
Katy Perry Featuring Kanye West
Hold It Against Me
Britney Spears
The One That Got Away
Katy Perry
I Need A Doctor
Dr. Dre Featuring Eminem & Skylar Grey
Till The World Ends
Britney Spears Featuring Nicki Minaj & Ke$ha
On The Floor
Jennifer Lopez Featuring Pitbull
Good Feeling
Flo Rida
Super Bass
Nicki Minaj
Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
Katy Perry
Just Can't Get Enough
The Black Eyed Peas
2010
Like A G6
Far*East Movement Featuring Cataracs & Dev
only men
Grenade
Bruno Mars
only men
The Time (Dirty Bit)
The Black Eyed Peas
only men
Sexy Chick
David Guetta Featuring Akon
only men
Airplanes
B.o.B Featuring Hayley Williams
only men
Find Your Love
Drake
only men
Not Afraid
Eminem
only men
Just The Way You Are
Bruno Mars
only men
Nothin' On You
B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars
only men
Billionaire
Travie McCoy Featuring Bruno Mars
only men
I Like It
Enrique Iglesias Featuring Pitbull
only men
DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love
Usher Featuring Pitbull
only men
Just A Dream
Nelly
only men
Hey, Soul Sister
Train
only men
Break Your Heart
Taio Cruz Featuring Ludacris
only men
In My Head
Jason Derulo
only men
We Are The World 25: For Haiti
Artists For Haiti
only men
OMG
Usher Featuring will.i.am
only men
Baby
Justin Bieber Featuring Ludacris
Raise Your Glass
P!nk
Alejandro
Lady Gaga
Only Girl (In The World)
Rihanna
Love The Way You Lie
Eminem Featuring Rihanna
Imma Be
The Black Eyed Peas
We R Who We R
Ke$ha
Dynamite
Taio Cruz
BedRock
Young Money Featuring Lloyd
Today Was A Fairytale
Taylor Swift
only women
Mine
Taylor Swift
only women
Your Love Is My Drug
Ke$ha
What's My Name?
Rihanna Featuring Drake
Firework
Katy Perry
Teenage Dream
Katy Perry
California Gurls
Katy Perry Featuring Snoop Dogg
Rude Boy
Rihanna
Telephone
Lady Gaga Featuring Beyonce
And both were written and performed by Taylor Swift. This isn’t shocking for two reasons. First, hit songs written by women without any male co-writers are rare. Second, when women do write a hit without a man also sharing credit, they often end up performing the song themselves.
To recap the results from the past 13 years, there are so few songs written exclusively by women that I can list them all.
Not only are these songs all written by women, they are also all performed by women. When women write songs, men rarely perform them.
Let’s explore how rare it is for women to write songs for men to perform. First, we’ll look at every hit song since the start of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1958.
Every Top 5 Hit, 1958-2022, Broken Down by Songwriting Team Gender
Only 187 of the 3,082 top 5 hits were written exclusively by women.
Only 187 of the 3,082 top 5 hits were written exclusively by women.
Of those 187, only 13 were performed exclusively by men.
Of those 187, only 13 were performed exclusively by men.
Even if we expand our search to top 5 hits written exclusively by women and performed by groups with men and women, that list of songs only grows by 16.
Even if we expand our search to top 5 hits written exclusively by women and performed by groups with men and women, that list of songs only grows by 16.
Note how women who wrote more than half of these songs were vocalists in the performing groups.
Note how women who wrote more than half of these songs were vocalists in the performing groups.
Women often singing the songs that they wrote might seem like a trifling detail, but it actually suggests something more vital: You cannot talk about the history of music without talking men actively limiting the musical activities that women were allowed to participate in.
In 1860, an unknown author was disturbed that female cellists would have to straddle their instruments: “Lady-fiddlers we are tolerably well accustomed to, but the attitude of a lady grasping with all her limbs a violoncello is one to the grotesqueness of which usage has not yet reconciled us.” A few decades later, composer Gustave Kerker expressed his distaste for how certain instruments distorted female faces: “Women cannot possibly play brass instruments and look pretty, and why should they spoil their good looks?” Around the same time, critic George Upton wrote in his book Woman in Music about how women’s emotions made them great song interpreters (i.e., vocalists) but prevented them from writing great works.
Upton’s comment is an example of a pernicious piece of sexism that still lives on more than a century later. Before women can be taken seriously as songwriters, they must first prove that they are capable vocalists.
A century-plus later, it’s clear that there is still so much progress to be made.
In 2022, women represented 14% of songwriters among Top 5 Billboard hits, a number that hasn't in changed 60 years.
The 128 songwriters of a top 5 hit, 1958 - 2022
This bar represents Jane Doe, credited as a songwriter on Mary Smith’s Song”
There were 32 women songwriters with a top 5 hit in 2022.
There were 189 men songwriters with a top 5 hit in 2022.
Below, we provide you with a tool to sift through the artist and songwriter gender data that we gathered. You will quickly see that women are still actively impeded from songwriting at the highest levels of the pop world, and that women of color face even more impediments.